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AN 

AMBITIOUS 

SLAVE 



>io4NALDRO'TL'AND«' ' H 



OLD BOOM 

506 1 I th St. 

WASHINGTON, 




The Peter Paul Book Company 
Publishers . Buffalo, N. Y. . 1897 






,LS, 






»4 "r- j:-. 

-MS / / , 



Copyriglit^ J 896, 
By Reginald-Rowlands 



.'.1 exch. 
©. of 0. Pub. Lib, 



PRINTED AND BOUND BY 

THE PETER PAUL BOOK COMPANY, 

BUFFALO. N. Y. 



30 






rv.-i-Lr 









AN ipiBITIOli^^^AVE. . 
CHAPTER I. r ■/ 



'*/^^H ! Massa^^Joiifi- i R^eP^ it. 
^^ Lawd, Massa John I neber." 
'* Well you'll take this I reckon, and 
it'll be many a long day before you have 
another chance to take anything else 
from the wagons, or my name aint John 
Mason, for I expect to make you drive 
the foremost team hereafter, where I 
can ride along and keep my eye on you. 
It hasn't been three weeks since the 
Judge bought you, and in that time there 
has been one box of shoes, two cheeses 
and a whole coop of chickens stolen from 
the wagons. Now take that" giving 
Rufus a farewell cut with the whip as 
though afraid he would not give the 



«.o^ <^ 



^ AN AMBITIO US SLA V£. 

supposed thief his full share of punish- 
ment for the loss of goods from the 
wagon train, adding in a voice of vehe- 
mence, which made the flesh quiver upon 
the bones of the darkey, ''I might have 
known a nigger fresh from the plantation 
would have jumped at every chance to 
steal anything he could get his hands 
on. 

The foregoing represents a portion of 
a dialogue which took place between 
John Mason, the foreman of a wagon 
train, a hard master and a slave perse- 
cutor, and Rufus, a colored man scarcely 
more than twenty years of age, who had 
recently been purchased from a planter 
and brought to the town to drive one of 
a long train of wagons carrying freight, 
baggage and all kinds of produce be- 
tween the terminus of the only railroad 
entering Augusta, Ga., and the station 
In Hamburg, just on the opposlde side 
of the Savannah River. 

This was in October, 1844, when very 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 3 

few were the mills of progress which had 
rumbled out upon the still air of the 
"Sunny South," and a score of years 
before the wave of Freedom had swept 
over the States setting a million souls 
at liberty. The exercise of will, to 
a large extent, and reliance upon their 
own judgment was totally unknown to 
the " niggers." 

All freight, baggage and express was 
transported between Augusta and Ham- 
burg by means of a wagon train driven 
by colored men, then slaves, and an 
overseer on horse-back at the head of 
the train, with one also bringing up the 
rear, passing over the Savannah River on 
a wooden bridge, and which in those 
days was the only available means of 
communication directly between the two 
towns mentioned. 

It was not an infrequent occurrence 
for a driver near the center of the line of 
wagons, watching his chance, and while 
neither overseer was in sight, to drop 



4 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

from the dray for instance a box of 
shoes, (provided he was sure that he 
could depend upon the driver imme- 
diately behind not betraying him) which 
was received by an accustomed hand at 
pilfering, who was ready to conceal the 
goods taken. 

It was frequently the case however, 
that a more trustworthy slave, or possi- 
bly one who had been hovering a grudge 
against the thief, would report the mat- 
ter, and the stolen article would be 
recovered, even if the rogue had not 
been detected by the watchful eye of the 
overseer. 

Rufus was as black as a crow, and had a 
broad, flat nose, which is an unmistak- 
able mark of the native African, although 
he was somewhat taller than the average 
man. He had been bought from a planter 
who owned a large cotton plantation, 
and who declared to the purchaser that 
''the like of Rufus couldn't be found in 
airy cotton field in the State," while his 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 5 

new boss recognized in him an aptitude 
for loading and unloading his freight 
wagons, the contents of which were 
often piled to a considerable height. 

One evening after the slaves had 
brought in their teams, eaten their plain 
but much relished supper, and had gone 
to their humble shanties to dream pos- 
sibly of a land where there were no 
bosses and the sound of the whip was 
never heard, a short and always grin- 
ning darkey called Sambo, who had a 
saucy twinkle in his eye, came to John 
Mason, to whom it had just been re- 
ported that a coop of chickens had that 
afternoon disappeared, and opening his 
broad lips as though he could accommo- 
date a few of the feathered tribe there, 
says, "Boss, I know where dem chickens 
went," and upon being asked regarding 
their mysterious departure, continued 
with a grin of satisfaction '' Rufus 
dropped em off at 'Tilda's house. I 
seed him, Boss." 



6 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

Rufus was at once brought upon the 
scene, whipped until his hard master felt 
satisfied there would be less goods stolen 
in fijture, and rewarding Sambo for his 
faithfulness, Mason instructed him to 
keep his eyes open while working near 
Rufus, who in reality was not the thief. 

Several days passed, during which 
time Rufus attended strictly to loading 
and unloading his dray, while Sambo, 
according to instructions, drove the team 
immediately behind him. 

The mischievous and domineering 
Sambo would occasionally attempt to 
joke with Rufus, but the latter, like an 
Indian whose dignity had been severely 
wounded, failed to manifest great pleas- 
ure in the presence of his fellow slaves, 
and once when Rufus had piled box 
upon box in his wagon, he completed 
the load by placing a coop of chickens 
on top. The long wagon train had just 
left the bridge, while constant jolting 
over the rough roads had caused the 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 7 

coop to work its way to the back of the 
wagon, and Rufus, fearing it might fall, 
ran back as the team moved slowly 
along and began placing the coop in its 
former position. Sambo, who was watch- 
ing the procedure, quickly ran up and 
offered his assistance with the taunting 
remark, ''here, country nigger, better 
let me help yer handle dese yer chick- 
ens. First thing yer know they'll be 
gone." Rufus accepted his assistance 
but made no answer, which displeased 
Sambo, who continued "Whaf fer yer so 
quiet since you and Boss Mason come 
'quainted ? " 

The following morning at an early 
hour, John Mason was standing in the 
office of Judge Walton, the owner of the 
wagon train, receiving instructions re- 
garding a large shipment of drygoods 
consigned to a Hamburg merchant, to 
be handled, when a slave came in and 
in a very excited manner, informed them 
that Rufus was missing and that no one 



8 AN A MB IT 10 US SLA VE. ' 

on the premises had seen him that morn- 
ing. 

For the next hour excitement ran 
high throughout the '' negro quarters," 
while Sambo stood by listening with a 
serious expression upon his dusky coun- 
tenance as though he was ashamed of 
the record he had made in not being 
first to bring the news of Rufus' depart- 
ure. 

The Daily Recorder on the next morn- 
ing, and for a week thereafter, contained 
the following notice : 

RUNAWAY NEGRO. From the premises of Philip 
Walton, one buck negro six feet high, twenty years old, 
very black, close cut wool and scar across left hand. Re- 
ward offered for his apprehension. 

Day after day passed and no tidings 
of the runaway slave reached the owner, 
and John Mason was instructed to take 
the morning train down to Maxton and 
visit *' Squire Longside's" plantation, 
being told not to return until he had 
captured Rufus or was satisfied that he 
had not returned to the farm, to which 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 9 

Mason replied, suggestively tapping the 
handle of his rawhide whip upon his 
right hip pocket : '' If I ever lay my eye 
on that nigger I'll bring him back, though 
he may not be able to work when he 
gets here." 

The last few words were said in an 
undertone, and did not reach the ear 
of Judge Walton, which was well for 
Mason, as he knew, for while the 
Judge was very positive in dealing with 
his subordinates, he was a very humane 
man, and many were the hardships the 
slaves suffered at the hands of their 
*' Boss " which were unknown to their 
owner. 

The laws of the State prohibited any 
one teaching a negro even as much as 
the alphabet, and while some people 
recognized the sense of feeling in the 
negro, the vast majority ignored that 
sense, and not a few of the more hot- 
headed type declared ''the negro has 
no soul, and will not exist in the here- 



10 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

after. I can detect the odor of one a 
half mile distant, and nothing that is so 
offensive can last." 

According to the Judge's instructions, 
when the morning train left Augusta 
south-bound, Mason was aboard accom- 
panied by Arnold, Judge Walton's son, 
who was home from school on vacation, 
and to him this was considered the 
greatest outing trip he had ever known 
— after a runaway negro. 



CHAPTER II. 

AMONG OLD FAMILIAR SCENES. 

TT was nine o'clock in the evening, 
-■- when in a typical log cabin, about 
one hundred yards from the main road, 
leading up to 'Squire Longside's plan- 
tation, sat Dinah and Ned beside a 
bright light made by a pine knot in the 
broad fire-place — the chandelier for the 
cabin — while two little pickaninnies had 
cuddled upon a low bed in one corner 
across which the flickerino- lio-hts and 
shadows played hide and seek. They 
were perhaps dreaming of the water- 
melon time which had recently passed. 

The cabin door was open and as the 
breeze of an October night occasionally 
fanned the flickering blaze, Ned and 
Dinah were discussing their daily topic 
— Ole Massa's cotton crop. „ 



12 AN AMBIT 10 US SLA VE. 

The ''Squire" provided comfortably 
for his slaves, although their quarters 
were ever so humble, and here was a 
picture of happiness difficult to equal 
among more pretentious surroundings, 
as the darkies occasionally sang in their 
peculiar tones a verse such as : 

'< I wake up at de break of day to take my morning walk, 
I meet my lobely Judy and dis de way we talk — 
Says I, you am my only lobe, you am my heart's delight, 
Wont you come across de riber, and we'll habe a little dance 
tonight." 

and Ned kept up a thump, thump, with 
his banjo, which is ever music in the 
negro's ear; 

''Listen," said Dinah, '* Sho as de 
Lawd somebody's dyin' cause I heard a 
voice way off say *D-i-n-a-h.' Shut dat 
door, Ned." 

Dinah's superstitious theory was sud- 
denly exploded however, when a head 
appeared in the doorway, and Rufus 
asked to be given food. 

*'Whaf fer you come back here," 
exclaimed the head of the family, 'Moan 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 13 

yer know yer treadin' on dangerous 
groun'." While Dinah went straight to 
the cupboard and produced what re- 
mained of a pumpkin which had been 
roasted in the ashes, inside of which had 
been cooked a 'possum, but very little 
of the latter remained to satisfy the 
fugitive's hunger. 

When Ned and Dinah retired, which 
was long after the rooster had told of the 
midnight hour, Rufus had received their 
promise to not disclose the fact of his 
presence on the old plantation, and he 
was wending his way down a narrow 
path through the field, where he could 
see enough of the fleecy staple ungath- 
ered to cause a sigh of regret to pass 
from his humble lips, as he was reminded 
of all the familiar scenes — the day he 
was sold and parted with all that had 
become dear to his youthful heart, for 
although it was night, he recognized 
every turn in the old path, and every 
knoll which rose in the distance like 
mountains against the clear sky. 



14 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

Rufus followed the path for nearly a 
half mile, and turning to the right he 
continued through a little ravine for 
about a hundred yards, when he came 
upon a steep bluff thickly covered with 
shrubbery. Making his way through 
the bushes he soon came to a deep 
cavity in the side of the hill in which he 
had the night previous prepared a bed 
made of brush and dead leaves, covered 
over with cotton. Directly in front of 
this cave was a great swamp, and being 
so obscure Rufus felt safe in making his 
abode in the cliff. 



CHAPTER III. 

UNDER THE MISTLETOE BOUGH. 

JOHN MASON and Arnold left the 
J train at Maxton Station, and hiring 
a mule and buggy, which was public 
conveyance for the town, reached the 
plantation of 'wSquire Longside, where 
they found all in gay attire as the 
'Squire's daughter was to be married at 
nine o'clock the same evening ; every 
one was busy making preparations, and 
full of jovial excitement. 

Constance Longside, the bride-to-be, 
was much admired among the country 
swain, not a few of whom had sought 
her hand, and among the unsuccessful 
suitors was one Clarence Dawson, who 
was the owner of a small farm adjoining 
that of the 'Squire. 



16 AN AMBITJO US SLA VE. 

To say that Clarence was wild with 
rage when he learned of the coming 
marriage of Constance to a planter who 
lived miles away, is mildly expressing 
his feelings, for while he had known 
Constance all his life, his rival had only 
met her a few months previous, and he 
considered she was being taken right 
from under his nose, as it were. 

The wedding had been the talk of all 
the country folk in the neighborhood, 
and even the slaves were wondering 
what Clarence would do when Con- 
stance, the source of his hopes and 
ambitions had gone, and he could no 
longer hear her evening song mingled 
with the tinkling sound of cow bells, 
while he rides up the adjoining lane 
bring the lowing herd to shelter for the 
night. 

Dinah was the only darkey heard to 
express sympathy for Clarence, but Ned, 
with a degree of pride which was char- 
acteristic of a slave owned by a well-to- 



AN AJMBiriOUS SLA VE. 17 

do man, asked : " Wha' you think 
Missle would wanter marry po' white 
trash Hke Clance fer ? " The condition 
coveted next to being free, was to be 
owned by a person in good circum- 
stances, consequently it was a joke 
which Ned never tired of telling, and 
which he availed himself of the first 
opportunity to tell to strangers, that on 
one occasion, when he had been owned 
by the 'Squire only a short time, the 
latter passed him one morning in the 
road and failing to recognize Ned, asked 
who was his master. 

The hour for the wedding found the 
country home well crowded with friends 
and relatives of the contracting parties. 
In the parlor, or the '' big room " as the 
negroes termed it, plain chairs which 
were in keeping with other quaint furni- 
ture of the house, were arranged on all 
sides, with the exception of the door and 
a broad *' fire-board," with its very odd 
decoration composed of cedars bearing 



18 AN AM BIT 10 US SLA VE, 

balls of cotton varying from the size of a 
pigeon's ^gg to an orange, some dyed 
with " poke " berries and others yellow 
with the yolk of eggs. Large bunches 
of golden-rod adorned each corner of 
the room, while in the center was sus- 
pended a cluster of mistletoe heavy 
laden with its pearly berries, which latter 
adornment was the object of much com- 
ment among the superstitious country 
young folk ; it was an old superstition 
which had been handed down from one 
generation to another, that the couple 
who sat beneath the fatal mistletoe were 
destined to form a matrimonial contract. 
Just opposite the mantle, a door which 
was all but blocked up with homespun 
frocks of waiting maids, led into a nar- 
row hall and thence into the kitchen 
where could be seen the supper table 
well laden with the best edibles the 
farm produced, including the wedding 
cake, a portion of which each of the 
curious spectators anticipated dreaming 
over that night. 



AN AMBITIO VS SLA VE. 19 

John Mason, who learned that Rufus 
and Ned had been the best of friends, 
decided to remain over until the follow- 
ing day and keep a watch out during 
the festivities ; therefore he and Arnold 
were ushered in, also the disconsolate 
Clarence, who was extremely reticent, 
as every one seemed to notice to his 
discomfiture, awaited the appearance of 
his rival to claim and bear off his lost 
love. 

Clarence on this occasion, with a final 
effort to appear to advantage before the 
girl he had almost worshipped, had en- 
tered his garden and pulling the only rose 
left, whose companions had from time to 
time made their way to the bosom of Con- 
stance, placed it in his buttonhole, and 
strode off in a pair of new boots with 
toes turned up and long-tailed coat, but- 
toned high under his ears, to join the 
gayer crowd. In reality there were no 
few '' sheep eyes " cast at him by maids 
whose bloom of youth was considerably 



20 AN A MB mo US SLA VE. 

on the wane, and who might be said to 
be blooming alone, but he felt if the 
sweetest smiles of them all combined 
were bestowed upon him, they would not 
suffice for the one he had lost. 

The wedding, which was performed 
with little ceremony, was soon over, and 
after the company had departed, with the 
exception of a few intimate friends who 
remained over to accompany the bride 
and groom the next morning, Mason 
quietly sought the house of Ned, and to 
his joy there found Rufus seated at a 
table with his colored host and hostess 
enjoyinga portion of the wedding supper. 

Mason reached for his revolver, and 
with eyes gleaming like balls of fire in 
the darkness, started to enter, when a 
hand was placed upon his shoulder and 
he was told to put up his pistol and do 
nothing rashly. It was Arnold who 
spoke, whose words were heeded by 
Mason at times when no one else could 
influence him, and feeling less desperate. 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 21 

Mason turned, and picking up a willow 
branch, which was lying just across a ray 
of light from the cabin, he entered, led 
his captive out who made little or no 
resistance, and before the laughter of 
the wedding party had scarcely died out, 
he chastised the runaw^ay slave until he 
begged on his knees for mercy. 

Mason led Rufus back to what the 
negroes called the ''big house," the 
scene of the gayeties, followed by 
Arnold and Ned. He demanded the 
latter to bring him a rope, which was 
quickly produced, and tying the captive 
to a tree, heartlessly remarked, " now 
stay there until morning, and the man 
who tries to release you sooner, will 
have me to settle with." 

" What ! " asked Arnold, " have you 
no more feeling for humanity than to 
keep him there bound to a tree all night ? 
Besides, some one will release him 
before mornino-." 

"Yes," w^as Mason's retort, "I have 



22 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

some feeling for humanity, but that 
nigg-er dont leave that tree until to- 
morrow, when I am ready to leave." 

'' John Mason," replied Arnold, " if 
you leave Rufus bound there all night, 
it will be the most expensive act you 
ever indulged in, for you will certainly 
have a successor in the service of my 
father when he is made aware of your 
conduct." 

Mason dropped his head with a sub- 
dued look and realizing his position, 
requested the 'Squire, who had been 
attracted to the scene, to give him a 
room which could be securely locked, in 
which to place Rufus for the night. 

The slave was carried to a small 
''shed-room" In which was an old mat- 
tress, the use of which had long been 
abandoned, pieces of broken furniture 
piled in one corner, and a shelf bearing 
several old pictures which formerly 
adorned the walls of the house ; and 
there he was locked up. 



AN A MB IT JO US SLA VE. 23 

Every one on the premises retired, 
Including Rufus, but he could not sleep, 
and as he lay in the darkness, his mind 
reverted to old-time scenes on the 
plantation, which he would again be 
compelled to leave. He could see in his 
imagination the field white with cotton 
until it appeared as a vast snow scene, 
and a dozen or more darkies singing 
some favorite melody while they filled 
the baskets with the fleecy staple. Thus 
Rufus lay half awake, half dreaming, 
until he was startled by a harsh voice at 
the door telling: him to rise. 



CHAPTER IV. 



*' They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon, 
On the meadow, the hill and the shore. 

They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon, 
On the bench l>y the old cabin door." 



TT was morning, and after all had 
-*■ breakfasted, Mason, Arnold and 
the runaway slave drove off to Max ton, 
the nearest railroad station, seated In 
one of the 'Squire's conveyances, just as 
the bride and groom, accompanied by 
several friends, drove in the opposite 
direction toward the bride's future home. 
Two persons were leaving- beloved 
surroundings — one the bride, as happy 
as the lark whose musical call pealed 
out upon the morning air, while the 
other, a slave, who had been maltreated 
on the premises of his new owner, had 
fled for liberty, been captured and was 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE, 25 

returning to be cuffed at the pleasure of 
his hard master, or stricdy speaking, his 
Boss, in the person of John Mason. 

The three boarded the train, and 
Mason placing Rufus next the window, 
sat on the inside to prevent his escap- 
incr through the door, while Arnold took 
a seat further forward. 

They were riding in a primidve old 
car which ratded and jolted along with 
very little more speed than the team in 
which they had driven from 'Squire 
Long-side's farm. The conductor, who 
was as lean as the mythical razor-backed 
hog, collected their fares, acted as brake- 
man, got off at every small tovv n to turn 
the switch, and at one station coupled on 
another car to be carried up to Augusta. 
In the meandme an old, country lady, 
accompanied by her granddaughter, a 
rosy-cheeked girl probably fifteen years 
of age, came in, and the small car being 
crowded, Arnold offered a portion of his 
seat, which was taken by the lass, after 



26 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

the old lady was seated just opposite. 
The maiden was somewhat bashful, and 
Arnold attempting to make her feel at 
ease, tried to draw her into conversa- 
tion. But the girl appeared absolutely 
unaware of his presence, until he looked 
her in the face and asked if she was 
going far. The blushing maid, to the 
astonishment of Arnold, sprang up as 
though indignant, and crossed over to 
the old lady, who came back to occupy 
a part of Arnold's seat where her grand- 
daughter had been, as Arnold thought, 
to give him a "piece of her mind," but 
in reality only to inform the frightened 
lad the oirl v/as deaf and dumb. 

The old lady v/ore a bonnet in which 
were placed a couple shanghai feathers 
(which evidently had been plucked from 
a tale of woe, as will be seen) which she 
had probably worn since a girl, judging 
from their appearance, and were of such 
a length as to keep Arnold constantly 
dodging, in order to prevent their com- 
ing in contact with his eye. 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 27 

The car suddenly turned a curve In 
the road and the old lady throwing her 
head to one side as Arnold leaned for- 
ward, the longest feather in her hat 
struck him straight in the eye. It was 
undoudtedly painful, and shutting his 
eye tightly, he threw his head back, 
when the feather and hat parted forever, 
for Arnold cautiously threw it (the 
feather) out the car window. 

The grandmother became somewhat 
ironical, for as she left the car, she was 
heard to remark to Arnold if he ever 
should wear glasses it would not be on 
account of weak eyes, still bemoaning 
the loss of her feather. 

The three reached Augusta by noon, 
and soon poor Rufus was the object of a 
jeering crowd, piercing him on every 
side with humiliating remarks, the most 
sagatious of whom was the irrepressible 
Sambo, who saluted him with a grin : 
" Spose you's decided chicken 's better'n 
'possum since Boss Mason was onto 
yer." 



28 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

Mason had recited to Judge Walton 
his experience in capturing the slave, 
and just outside the office was met by 
his fellow overseer with whom he man- 
aged the wagon train, who, after listen- 
ing intently until Mason had finished, 
rejoined as though he disliked to be out- 
done " we've also had a little excitement 
here since you left. That big fat nig- 
ger Jake gave me some of his impu- 
dence yesterday, and in return I gave 
him the but-end of my jack-whip. It's 
all over though, we buried him out at 
Oakwood, but his smartness cost me a 
team and the work of two niggers for 
three hours." 

The excitement quieted down, and as 
the weeks doubled into months and 
months into years, the wagon train made 
its daily run to Hamburg and return 
with such regularity that not the slight- 
est complaint reached the ears of the 
gray -haired Judge, through the iron- 
hearted Mason, although the latter per- 



AN A MBIT 10 US SLA VE. 29 

son could not lie down at night and en- 
joy what he called the sleep of a man 
who had passed a dutiful day, without 
his daily routine of abuse, which con- 
sisted of a threat of punishment on the 
least provocation, accompanied by a cut 
with his rawhide whip (let it fall upon 
whom it may,) in order that the slaves 
might more appreciate the fact that their 
hides remained unbroken, and they were 
living in our "land of the free." 

Mason was a man who saw litde 
morality in the world, nor had he any con- 
ception of a higher realm of existence, 
but his ambition and fields for new 
acquisitions lay in the heathenish con- 
ception of overpowering whatsoever was 
physically inadequate to withstand his 
onslaught. 

An idea of the nature of the man may 
be drawn from the following incident: 

Christmas was drawing near, the 
freight had assumed unusual propor- 
tions, and in order to accomplish the 



30 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

greatest possible amount of work in a 
given time, he offered a prize to the 
slave who would load and unload his 
wagon in the least time and keep it up 
for one day, in consequence of which 
every negro did his utmost. At the 
close of the day's work he called them 
all together, and after delivering the 
prize, warned each man that if they did 
not make an equal record every day, he 
would treat them to the cowhide. 

One night a half dozen or more slaves 
were at the house of Dinah, to whom 
Rufus had been accused of delivering the 
stolen goods, some lounging about the 
dingy room in various postures of rest, 
while others more enthusiastic over the 
subject being discussed were standing. 
Several of them were giving their re- 
spective opinions as to the time which 
might possibly bring freedom to the 
slaves. 

They had heard of a man named 
Lincoln who had been stirring the Capi- 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE, 31 

tol with his speeches on anti-slavery, 
and Rufus, who was lying in a corner of 
the room unnoticed by some, listened 
intently to all that was said, while in his 
unconquerable yearning for freedom, 
that night he recognized a star of hope in 
the northern horizon, which he resolved 
in his untutored mind to follow. 

The morning of December 23d was 
bright and almost as mild in that sunny 
climate as the month of May. Several 
darkies obtained leave for a couple of 
days to visit relatives and spend the 
holidays, one of whom was Rufus, who 
carried a carefully folded paper in his 
trousers pocket signed by Judge Wal- 
ton, in possession of which he felt that 
no one would dare question his right to 
be traveling alone. 

In no section of our country was 
Christmas ever celebrated with so much 
merriment and fun-making as in the 
South in those days, particularly among 
the slaves, according to the extent to 



32 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

which the master's approval was given. 
Christmas in the South was more Hke 
the Fourth of July further North, for 
while the latter was also a great day for 
** young America" in the South, its 
festivities were not equal to those dur- 
ing the Christmas holidays. 




OCT 3()].uo2 
CHAPTSR:V,^.^ ^^ _ ^ 

" I'm a happy little darkey all the way from Alabam', 

I used to hoe the cotton and the cane, 

The white folks they will miss me when they call for little 

Sam, 
For I'm never going to live with them again." 

THE day after Christmas, when busi- 
ness houses had resumed their 
duties, a crowd was seen gathering 
around a small brick building in Alex- 
andria, Va., over the door of which were 
painted the words "Price, Berch & Co., 
Slave Dealers." A number of slaves 
were to be disposed of at pubhc auction, 
and it was understood there were several 
bargains awaiting some one with the 
ready cash. 

On the right of the house was built an 
annex with iron bars across the win- 
dows — a typical slave-pen in which the 
** stock" of the company was kept — 

33 



r.J 



34 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

which bore close resemblance to a coun- 
try jail. 

Among the slaves who were held as 
chattels, was an old colored '' Auntie " 
and two little darkles six or eight years 
of age, who were continually asking her 
'' Mammy, where is we gwine' ? " 

" Doan yer bother yer mammy, chile, 
I's gwine away today, and maybe de 
white folks make me leave you chilluns 
here," then adding by way of consola- 
tion to her little ones, who were not 
aware that they would probably be sold 
away from their mother, ''Mammy'll 
come back though and see her chilluns 
'fore long." 

The first upon the block to be bid 
upon was a boy about eight years old, 
and while the auctioneer was trying to 
convince his hearers there was never 
such a favorable time to buy, a strange 
looking negro might have been seen to 
turn suddenly as he came into full view 
of the crowd and quietly disappear 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 35 

around the corner, but the eyes of all 
were upon the auctioner, and Rufus was 
not detected. 

He had reached Alexandria the pre- 
vious night, and stopping where it only 
remained to cross the Potomac to be out 
of Virginia, he had not anticipated a 
scene such as met his eyes. 

Night settled down upon the quaint 
old town, and as the fast express just 
from the South passed out of the 
marshes and on to the long bridge 
spanning the Potomac leading into 
Washington, a passenger sat, weary of 
a long ride, looking out into the moon- 
light eager to catch a glimpse of the 
great light upon the dome of the Capi- 
tol, signifying that Congress was in ses- 
sion. He saw only for an instant a face 
which impressed him with its familiarity, 
though he tried in vain to place it. 

It was Rufus sitting upon the bank of 
the river, looking out on the silvery 
waters as the thousands of waves danced 



36 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

in the moonlight, and thinking of to- 
morrow when he hoped to unfold his 
tale of sorrow before Lincoln, and from 
whom he fancied he would receive some 
hopes of freedom, but the slave was not 
aware that the train which passed him 
bore into Washington an intimate friend 
of Judge Walton, who being a Repre- 
sentative from Georgia, would likely 
recognize him if they should come face 
to face in the Capitol, although the 
slight gleam of light from the car had 
not been sufficient to betray the fugitive. 

For many days and nights Rufus' 
humble mind had pictured the City of 
Washington as a City of Refuge, and as 
one pauses upon the eve of a great 
struggle and endeavors to recognize at 
least a shadow of the events the next 
few hours may bring, he paused upon 
the threshold of the city. 

Hundreds of small lights on the dis- 
tant streets were twinkling across the 
water, while the great light upon the 
dome of the Capitol supported by the 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 37 

Goddess of Liberty, seemed to be beck- 
oning- and bidding him enter the city 
and be free. 

The following morning found Rufus 
on the streets of Washington, and he 
tried to assume the air of a negro who 
was familiar with every block in the 
city, but if passers-by failed to notice 
the expression of undoubted pleasure 
which the sights of a city always bring 
upon the face of a country darkey, he 
could not evade detection when his 
clothing gave indications of a tramp 
who had fared anything but well. 

Looking from under his slouch hat, 
Rufus suddenly saw he was within a few 
yards of the Georgia Representative 
whose face was familiar to him upon the 
streets of Augusta, and frightened al- 
most out of breath, the slave darted 
into an alley and cautiously made his 
way down to the railroad yard where he 
remained throughout the day in an 
empty freight car, not daring to again 
venture out in the city in daylight. 



CHAPTER VI. 

"All up and down de whole creation, 
Sadly I roam, 
Still longing for de old plantation, 
And for de old folks at home." 

" I ^HE heart of the slave sank in de- 
^ spondency when he thought of 
his danger of being caught if he re- 
mained in Washington. Having aban- 
doned the object of his trip, he looked 
out from his place of concealment upon 
the stars twinkling just as they did upon 
the old farm, and he began to wonder if 
there was no place where mercy could 
be found for a slave — one who in fleeing 
for freedom had transgressed the law by 
which he should go through life man- 
acled. Was there no place where the 
white man would employ him as a hired 
servant? Was there no black man 
38 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 39 

whose freedom had been purchased,and 
who thereby valued it sufficiently to be 
willing to give shelter to a refugee ? 
Oh ! that he could behold the face of the 
man who had individually undertaken 
the task of arguing the case of liberty 
for the manacled thousands ! Thus 
bemoaning his fate, the disappointed 
Rufus fell asleep in the empty box car 
from sheer exhaustion. 

The following day Rufus reached 
Boston, having been carried out of 
Washington while asleep, and he soon 
found many sympathizers among those 
to whom he related his escape. 

The refugee felt that the vast number 
of miles that lay between he and his 
"Boss" afforded him absolute safety, 
hence he did not hesitate to tell of his 
recent experience in the Capitol and his 
hunger since he left Georgia, all of 
which appealed to the charitably inclined, 
which formed a large portion of the 
curious listeners. 



40 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

Time and again had the Boston 
papers heralded stories of runaway 
slaves, some of whom were *' carried 
back South only to have the lash applied 
to them with an attempt to eradicate 
their longing for freedom," which might 
or might not have been true, but here 
was one right in their midst. 

Rufus was persevering in his one 
ambition — to be free — and while he had 
gained nothing by his visit to Washing- 
ton, he thought of a story which had 
been told him of the building of a 
tower : 

When a little boy heard that a great 
tower was going to be erected a block 
or two away, he insisted on being carried 
to see the work in progress, where his 
juvenile mind had pictured a tower of 
the ''Jack the Giant Killer" type, run 
up in a couple of days. But was disap- 
pointed to find an excavation in the 
earth which he termed ''a big well." 
Whereupon it was explained to him the 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 41 

greater the building in height, the 
deeper the foundation is laid, in which 
Rufus found consolation from the fact 
that what sometimes appears to be 
trouble may end in rejoicing. 

One morning Judge Walton took up 
a newspaper and glancing over it, his 
eye fell upon the story of Rufus, which 
had been copied from a Boston paper, 
the result of which was that he immedi- 
ately left for Boston, and finding his 
long sought slave, prepared to carry 
him back to Georgia, which brought 
down the condemnation of the City of 
Boston upon the Judge. 

On the night following the arrival of 
Walton in Boston, the citizens held an 
indignation meeting and denounced the 
slave-holder in strong terms, declaring 
that he should not be permitted to carry 
Rufus back. Prominent citizens ex- 
pressed their respective opinions before 
a demonstrative crowd in the old Town 
Hall, with the result that a committee of 



42 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

three was appointed to call upon Judge 
Walton and inform him that he would 
not be allowed to take the refugee back 
into slavery. The old Hall roared with 
applause when such a resolution was an- 
nounced, and the Committee im.mediately 
proceeded to find the Judge, while the 
meeting awaited their return, but upon 
being called upon by the committee, 
the Judge avowed his intention of leav- 
ing Boston with his captive on the fol- 
lowing morning. 

The enraged Judge having locked 
Rufus up securely, returned to the Hall 
with the committee, where he argued 
that the slave rightfully belonged to 
him by law, and the same law that em- 
powered him to enter another state and 
bring back a runaway mule, if it was 
proven to be his property, also gave 
him the privilege of apprehending a 
runaway slave and carry him back to 
serve his master in slavery, no matter 
where located. 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 43 

The law favored the slave-holder, and 
after a hot discussion, the committee 
proposed to pay a reasonable price for 
Rufus' freedom, before he should be 
made a slave again, reciting Rufus' ver- 
sion of the treatment he had been sub- 
jected to. 

*' What valuation do you place upon 
the slave ? " asked a member of the 
committee, addressing the Judge. 

''Five hundred dollars," was his 
reply, whereupon the committee as in 
one voice, joined by a chorus of the 
spectators, declared his price was ex- 
orbitant. 

The Judge drew from his pocket a 
list showing quotations in the slave- 
market, and particularly the price he 
had recently paid for a "Buck" negro, 
presumably of corresponding size and 
agfe to Rufus. He was offered four 
hundred dollars for the man by way of 
a compromise, which was finally ac- 
cepted, and the amount was made up at 
once among those who vehemently 



44 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

avowed their disapproval of the Judge's 
action, and the crowd dispersed. 

Rufus was indescribably elated over 
his freedom, and soon found employ- 
ment on an old vessel which was orig- 
inally designed for slave traffic, but was 
remodeled and was then being used in 
the lumber business, plying between 
ports on the eastern coast. 

The captain was a grim old veteran 
sailor, who delighted in reciting to his 
only colored subordinate, stories of the 
days when he brought hundreds of the 
young '' blacks " to America, and of his 
narrow escape from the natives while 
relieving them of the care of their off- 
spring, which he related in a coarse 
voice, broken by an occasional chuckle. 
Describing the wailing of the ** picka- 
ninnies " as they were borne away from 
the savage country, he appeared to find 
great pleasure in reminding Rufus of 
the bondage of his race, probably to 
make the ex-slave more appreciate his 
freedom. 



CHAPTER VII. 



POLITICAL COMBAT. 



13 ETURNING to the scenes which 
-"-^ our freedman had deserted ; in 
what seemed a few short years, we find 
Arnold Walton converted from a smooth- 
faced youth at school, into a full-fledged 
politician, stumping the District on the 
questions of the day. He admonished 
his hearers in the name of patriotism to 
exercise the right of American citizen- 
ship, vote his ticket, and thereby save 
the country from drifting into the hands 
of a ring of unprincipled law-makers. 

Arnold rapidly grew into public favor, 
and the result was that on elect- 
ion day he was overwhelmingly de- 
clared the people's choice to represent 
the District in the National Congress, 



45 



46 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

where he proved to be ever on the alert 
to strike a blow against the Anti-Slavery 
question which was being agitated by 
the representatives from certain States, 
and which Arnold termed a move to rob 
the South of a legitimate industry for 
purely political reasons, turning thous- 
ands of ignorant mortals who possessed 
no idea of management (the most intel 
ligent of whom had not a vestige of ex- 
ecutive ability), out upon the world to 
earn a livelihood. 

Upon a visit to Boston during his 
Congressional days, Walton was invited 
to deliver an after-dinner address before 
the Commercial Club, some members of 
which were desirous of hearing a man 
from the South whom no few looked 
upon as advocating inhuman persecu- 
tion, and whom a comic paper had 
described as *' having wheels in his 
head, which he utilized to crush out 
liberty and life." 

A sight in those days unusual in the 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 47 

North, attracted Arnold's attention while 
seated at the dinner-table on that occa- 
sion, as he glanced down the long 
double line of members and guests 
arranged on either side of the sumptu- 
ously spread table, engaged in satisfy- 
ing the inner man. It was a single 
black face among the waiters, whom he 
recognized as Rufus. 

The stroke of the town clock told it 
was drawing toward the wee sma' hours, 
and a line of carriages the entire length 
of the block were waiting to receive the 
dispersing banqueters, when Arnold felt 
a hand placed upon his arm as he left 
the club-house. Looking around, he 
beheld Rufus. 

"'Skuse me, boss, but I jus' want to 
speak to you 'fore you go, and ask 
about old Massa Longside, and all 
dem." 

Arnold was touched by the sincerity 
of the ex-slave, who still remembered 
one who treated him kindly, and when 



48 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

the negro was told that 'Squire Long- 
side had a year ago joined the silent 
majority, his eyes filled with tears. 
Rufus possessed an unusual aptitude 
for service in any capacity as a slave, 
while the story of his freedom rendered 
his name familiar to every person in the 
city, hence when he heard that Walton 
was to attend the banquet, he experi- 
enced no difficulty in being engaged for 
the occasion, his only object in which 
was the scene just described. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

« WHEN THE CRUEL WAR IS OVER." 

1VTEWS of the closing bloody strife 
^ ^ between the states, by which 
slavery was abolished, reached the ears 
of Rufus like a heavenly anthem, and 
though in a few years he would have 
passed over the sunny side of life, he 
now looked out upon the future where 
the sunshine of hope was just penetrat- 
ing the clouds, and gleaming over a land 
strewn with desolation. While added 
years had rendered him less impulsive 
in his sole ambition, and though his 
kinky wool was becoming prematurely 
gray, the knowledge that even his former 
companions were as free as himself, was 
a joy, too great for him to remain 
hidden in the obscure ranks of humanity 

49 



50 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE, 

without at least making an effort to see 
the promoter of this boon to his race, 
to whose service he would gladly have 
devoted the remainder of his years. 
Such was the gratitude that lay hidden 
in the breast of Rufus. He accordingly 
bid farewell to the Captain of the lumber 
craft at Norfolk, with whom he had just 
made a trip from Boston, and purchased 
a railroad ticket destined to Washington, 
feeling that he could now visit that city 
with an unlimited degree of impunity, 
where he expected to pay homage to 
the liberator of the slaves — the President. 
At No. 6oi ''G" street, Washington, 
stood a one-story frame building, being 
a lunch house kept by an old colored 
woman who accommodated probabaly 
a half dozen transients of her race when 
she was fortunate enough to have her 
house filled, in which Rufus engaged a 
room for a couple of days. This house, or 
mere shanty, for such it was — was con- 
structed in the most inexpensive manner 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 51 

possible, the rear of which was simply 
built against the side of a somewhat 
larger building, while the entrance to the 
latter was on Sixth street, being just 
around the corner from where Rufus was 
stopping. Thus the side of the larger 
building, which was also a frame house, 
formed the rear of the smaller one, just 
where Rufus' room was situated. 

Rufus immediately proceeded to retire 
upon his arrival, which was close to 
midnight, but though he was fatigued 
from his traveling, he could not sleep 
on account of an annoying voice which 
seemed to come from a distance. 

The night was still and quietude 
settled down upon the city, while the 
sound of footsteps on the street had 
dwindled down to an occasional belated 
pedestrian. The occupant of the dark 
and scantily furnished room lay awake 
trying to overcome his fear and super- 
stition connected with the voice which 
he could not account for. 



52 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

It came like a stage whisper from the 
most repulsive villain, which he at one 
moment imagined came from the ceiling, 
and the next instant was positive the 
same sound emanated from beneath his 
bed. Rufus could control himself no 
longer, and raising to a sitting posture, 
he listened to the voice which had become 
less distinct, when he observed a tiny 
ray of light penetrating the rear wall. 
He very stealthily approached the rough 
partition and found the light came from 
the adjoining building through a hole 
in the decaying wall, which was so small 
as to have possibly been made by a 
clothes hook, and listening to the voice 
which had so annoyed him, Rufus heard 
the name of the President mentioned. 

Whether it was for his undying and 
insatiable interest in the name that 
reached his ear, or because of mere 
curiosity born in the human race, Rufus 
spent an hour endeavoring to catch the 
conversation going on in the adjoining 
room. 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 53 

The words were very low and cau- 
tiously spoken, but once he caught this 
much : '' Mac thinks he intends going 
to the play tomorrow night, and will try 
to find out in the morning when the 
family are at breakfast. If all goes 
smooth until tomorrow night, we will 
bring him down." 

Here the conversation ceased, and 
while Rufus did not realize what was 
meant, the words '' we will bring him 
down " kept ringing in his ears. He 
reasoned in his humble mind, "It can't 
be Massa Lincoln who dat man talk 
'bout bringing down to dis har house." 

When Rufus again opened his eyes 
to the light of day, the sun had mounted 
high in the sky, for he had slept late. 
It was a calm morning on the 14th of 
April, just such a day as makes us 
yearn to leave the house, within whose 
walls our sphere has been to an extent 
Hmited during the winter hours, but 
which on such a morning becomes al- 



54 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

most painfully monotonous, and our 
attention is drawn to the outside world 
where we can breathe the air of free- 
dom, bask in the sunlight of returning 
Spring, and learn a lesson of renewed 
hope as we listen to "Nature's Teach- 
ings." 

The philanthropic African felt the in- 
spiring influence of such a day, and 
while preparing to make his exit from 
the scene of an unrestful night, a voice 
was heard which he at once recognized 
as the same which had disturbed his 
sleep the previous night, the first sound 
of which was a premonition of evil, and 
he shuddered as he recalled the demon- 
like whispering which came through the 
wall, and which still haunted him. 

With an eagerness to learn more of 
Mr. Lincoln and why his name should 
have been connected with a secret con- 
versation in such an obscure lodging, 
Rufus noiselessly resumed his position 
by the defective partition, where he 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 55 

could now hear nearly the entire con- 
versation of the two men, who seemed 
to entertain little or no fear of being 
overheard. Rufus heard the voice of a 
man who seemed to be out of breath as 
he entered the room and took a seat 
near the wall. The man who was 
within a couple of feet of Rufus, pro- 
ceeded to inform his co-operator exult- 
ingly of what he had accomplished. 

"That block-headed coachman," ex- 
claimed the man who had just entered, 
'' kept me waiting in the stable nearly 
an hour, and gave as his excuse that the 
servant-girl failed to turn up in time, but 
if he has not told me a lie, which I will 
admit I don't remember his ever doing, 
everything will go off like clock-work 
tonight. He says the old man will be 
in a box tonight, and have the ladies 
with him." 

Rufus, who was listening intently, did 
not know who was referred to as '' the 
old man," but "whoever it was," Rufus 



56 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

said mentally, "I would not like to de- 
pend upon that man helping him out of 
a 'box' if he should get in one," as 
that slang expression recurred to him. 

*'Well, what about the horse," reached 
the ear of Rufus, which he recognized 
as a woman's voice. 

''Oh! the horse will be there, and 
that at ten o'clock sharp, or that coach- 
man will suffer for it," was the answer. 

" I shouldn't wonder if he makes a 
nice botch of the whole affair, and if he 
does — ." Here the woman paused, as 
if considering her own risk in the plot 
she was having executed. 

"Why, then every man will have to 
look out for his own neck^" resumed 
the male voice, " and as for you — the 
jailer will probably look after that for 
you. However, after everything is 
arranged, I must have the money 
planked down, before 1 put my hand in 
the fire." 

"And even after I turn the money 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 57 

over to you, how do I know that you 
will not also slip up in the game, and 
skipping the city, leave me to settle 
with the detectives, and no money," 
argued the female. 

"The matter is arranged; when all 
eyes are upon the play, I will enter the 
box, make short work of it, and out the 
back alley where the horse will be wait- 
ing, and before any one outside knows 
what has happened, I will be half way to 
Sur— " 

The speaker was suddenly rebuked 
by the woman, who advised him to 
lower his voice, or he would be over- 
heard, with a sad result. 



CHAPTER IX. 



IN PALATIAL HALLS. 



"' I ^HIS man wants to speak to the 
^ President," said the watchman 
at the White House, addressing the 
President's Private Secretary. ''I have 
been unable to get any more informa- 
tion out of him than that fact." 

" This man ! " exclaimed the Secre- 
tary, looking at Rufus somewhat sur- 
prised. "Why old man unless your 
business is of an extremely important 
nature, you cannot see him. What do 
you wish done ? " 

The ex-slave appeared slightly con- 
fused, for it had never occurred to him 
that there would be any question or 
difficulty in his seeing Mr. Lincoln. 
'' Please Boss," he commenced, " I jes' 
58 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 59 

want ter thank him for settin' all dese 
niggers free." 

The Secretary's expression assumed 
a more surprised look, and a smile 
showing that he was somewhat amused, 
crept over his face, as he informed Rufus 
that the President was occupied, and he 
would have to be satisfied with leaving 
his card, (with a wink at the watchman), 
while Rufus turned and went slowly 
away. 

The disappointed darkey was on his 
way to his lodging house, when he was 
passed by two school boys on a corner, 
one of whom inquired of his companion 
if he was going to attend the theater 
that night, and upon receiving a nega- 
tive reply, informed his friend that he 
was going, as he wanted to see the 
President, who was going to occupy a 
box at the play. 

Here an idea occurred to Rufus which 
almost straightened his curly wool, as 
he at once connected with the President 



60 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

all he had overheard through the wall 
in his room, and he was satisfied there 
was a plot being formed to harm the 
Chief Magistrate. 

Let come what might, Rufus resolved 
to save the President from his conspira- 
tors, and turning he started back toward 
the White House as fast as it was pos- 
sible for him to move. 

Night had just come over the quiet 
cit}' and the cool breeze from the; Potomac 
river sighed among the branches of the 
large maples surrounding the "White 
Lot" as the President's carriage drove 
through the broad gate and down Penn- 
sylvania Avenue. 

It had not proceeded far when "Police!" 
a man cried, " Police, Police ! " and 
from every direction people were seen 
running to the center of the street to 
where the carriage had halted. "Arrest 
that man," cried the driver, as several 
policemen ran up, and seizing a man 
who had attempted to stop the carriage, 
dragged him away to the jail. 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 61 

Rufus had made a daring attempt to 
warn the doomed man, and as he was 
carried off after faihng to do so, the 
carriage proceeded, while the negro 
repeatedly cried " stop the carriage, 
stop it, they may kill him," but the 
policeman who had arrested many sup- 
posed cranks, said the man was de- 
mented, and carried him to the station 
house, where Rufus spent the night 
locked up. 

Ford's theater, which was in the early 
days of Washington, the theater of the 
city, was situated on loth street, N. W. 
between " E " and '' F " streets, which 
building is remaining today. 

The theater was profusely decorated 
with stars and stripes in honor of Mr. 
Lincoln, and as he entered the house, 
which was well filled, round after round 
of applause rose from the mass of 
humanity,and the President, unconscious 
of his impending fate, was ushered into 
the box on the left of the stage. 



62 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

If poor Rufus could have appeared 
upon the scene at this moment, he 
might at least have given warning of 
what was to follow in the next few 
minutes, but alas ! his being unexpect- 
edly dragged from the carriage and 
unceremoniously cast into jail, so com- 
pletely unnerved the African, that 
before he could recover presence of 
mind sufficient to recount the plot he 
had over-heard, the murderer approached 
his victim from the rear, pressed the 
fatal trigger, and almost before the 
audience realized what had happened, 
sprang from the box to the stage, dis- 
appeared behind the scenery, and mak- 
ing his exit into the back alley, mounted 
the horse which was in waiting, and 
disappeared in the darkness with the 
swiftness of an arrow. 



CHAPTER X. 

TWO JOHNNY REBS. 

^T T'E will turn back to scenes among 
^ ^ the hills and valleys of Georgia. 
In the spring of 1865, if we could as an 
eagle in the air, view the country, we 
would find the roads over hills and 
through valleys dotted with disbanded 
Confederate soldiers returning home. 

Two of these men had walked the 
entire distance from the field of Appo- 
mattox, with scarcely more than the 
uppers of their shoes left upon their 
feet. One of them wore only the crown 
of a hat, while the other wore a cap 
which had been picked up on the battle- 
field, reaching Chickamauga one morn- 
ing just as a special train was about to 
leave for Atlanta, which was to trans- 
port what remained of a regiment of 
soldiers. 63 



64 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

The two tired ''Rebs," who still 
carried their muskets, were boarding the 
train, when they were confronted by the 
conductor, by whom they were informed 
very gruffly that he could not accommo- 
date them. 

''But we can stand just here on the 
platform," replied one of the two tired 
men, ''where we will take up no room 
which is needed, and we are only going 
to Cartersville." 

"You must get off; I will have no 
room for you," shouted the conductor, 
who knew neither of them had as much 
as a penny in his possession. 

"Oh! we will not be in the way here," 
argued the spokesman for the two. 

" Get off! get off! " shouted the con- 
ductor, at the top of his voice, while the 
two "Johnnies" only clung to the car 
and calmly replied, "No; we couldn't 
think of doing it." 

" Come in and sit down, then ! " 
said the conductor, as his anger seemed 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE, 65 

to turn to mirth, '' make yourself com- 
fortable, if possible." 

The perseverance of the two men 
who had nothing more to lose but a Hfe 
upon which neither placed but little 
value, was comical in the extreme, 
although their situation was deplorable. 

The conductor was a man from the 
Union army who had been placed in 
charge of the train. When his train 
slowly moved off toward its destination^ 
the conductor took a seat near the 
*' Confeds " and jocularly remarked, 
''Well, my friends, you seem to be in 
rather a bad plight, but it is better to 
see your error late than never at all. 
You were evidently on the wrong side 
of the fence." 

''If the side of the victorious is always 
the side of right," rejoined John, your 
assertion is true, but I claim the reverse 
in this case. 

"But, my friend," resumed the con- 
ductor, "does loyalty count for nothing ? 



66 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

Do any circumstances justify a man in 
fighting against his country ? " 

'* I claim they cannot," answered 
John, and I never could be disloyal to 
the extent of fighting against my natal 
land." 

'' Were you not raised a citizen of the 
United States, and when you entered 
the army," continued the conductor, 
** was it not to fight against the Union ? " 

"I fought in the Confederate army, 
but I believe a State had a right to 
secede after years of Congressional 
wrangling had proven that the differ- 
ences of opinion were such that we could 
no longer form a part of the Union ; as 
my State is the nearest and dearest to 
me, I could not take up arms againt it, 
and there is where I lay claim to loyalty." 

As the old Southern soldier was thus 
trying to disabuse the conductor's mind 
of the assertion that he had been ''on 
the wrong side of the fence," the train 
drew into Cartersville, where the two 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 67 

Confederates got off and resumed their 
homeward tramp through the moun- 
tains. Clarence Dawson (for it was he 
who had been arguing with the conduc- 
tor) on a hot July day the previous 
summer had been wounded on the 
battle-field. A comrade gave him the 
last drop of water from his canteen 
and otherwise contributed to his com- 
forts until the wounded man could be 
carried from the field. Clarence never 
forgot this little act of kindness, and 
when the war had ended and he, heart- 
broken and disconsolate, started on a 
long journey home, which he only 
trusted had been spared from the rav- 
ages of the invading army, he by chance 
came upon the crippled soldier who 
rendered him such timely assistance. 
It was now Clarence's time to show his 
true comradeship, and when his cripple 
companion left the train at Cartersville 
to seek his cabin in the distant moun- 
tains, Clarence insisted that he would 



68 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

never leave the old soldier until he saw 
the hands of the rural mountaineer 
clasped in fond embrace of those loved 
ones who were still watching and won- 
dering the fate of the son and brother 
who had upon that sad morning bid 
them farewell with tears in his eyes. 

The sun went down, rose and set 
again, and Clarence with his cripple 
companion wended his way through the 
rocky, mountainous country. Clarence 
still carried his gun (which to the day of 
his death he treasured as a memento of 
those days of struggle) and often while 
climbing a rugged hill would put out his 
hand and assist his almost helpless com- 
rade, who had long since been compelled 
to discard gun, blanket and all except 
what scanty clothing were upon his body. 

As they nearedthe home of the wound- 
ed man, he seemed to imbibe new strength 
and pushed forward in renewed hope, as 
his watchful eye was scanning the hills 
before him for a trace of smoke which 
might tell of life on the old premises. 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE, 69 

At last only a little knoll In the battle- 
scarred wood lay between the two men 
and the spot where the crippled man 
was longing- to rest his eye and event- 
ually rest his body, but instead of Clarence 
now rendering assistance, he found 
it difficult to keep apace with his comrade. 
They mounted the hill among the debris 
which gave evidence of a fierce battle, 
and rushing impatiently down in full 
view of the once familiar spot where he 
expected to find home, only a vast plain 
of desolation met the eye of the 
wounded man, and he sank upon the 
ground. Turning a face of anguish toward 
Clarence, and while unable to utter a 
word, he expired upon a scene where 
devastation held full sway. 

The cabin had months previously gone 
up in smoke, a storm of shot had almost 
swept every trace of habitation before 
It, and a death-like silence reigned su- 
preme In the scene of awe-inspiring sol- 
itude. 



70 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

Clarence alone followed a mountain 
road for a half hour, finally coming- upon 
a small house, he procured a man and 
necessary implements with which they 
dug a final resting-place for the remains 
of the heart-broken veteran. 

As they laid him to rest, the dead 
man's coat fell open and disclosed a por- 
tion of a Confederate flag under which 
the soldier had fought, and which he had 
cut from the staff on which only remain- 
ed a remnant of silk bearing two stars, 
after the gradually fading Star of the Con- 
federacy had gone down forever upon 
the field of Appomattox. Clarence di- 
vided the piece of cloth, placed a piece 
bearing one star upon the body of his 
departed companion as he was hid from 
mortal eye, carefully folded the other 
half and placing it in his coat pocket, 
started back toward the nearest railroad 
station, but not without shedding a tear 
for the man with whom he had shared the 
hardships of war. 



CHAPTER XI. 

"All the world's a stage, 
And all the men and women merely players, 
They have their exits and their entrances, 
And one man in his time plays many parts." 

^T^HE tumult into which the Capitol 
^ City was turned at an hour of 
merriment, and the excitment which pre- 
vailed throughout the night, with the 
dawn of day, relaxed into a calm and rev- 
erential silence. People not only were 
loth to discuss the tragedy, but many walk- 
ed the streets with a soft tread, apparently 
afraid to breathe aloud. 

From the night of April 14th, 1865, 
for many days following, if we could 
view the city as from the crest of a 
distant mountain, we would observe a 
cloud of mourning rising from the center 
of Washington and spreading with in- 



72 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

creased gloom on every side, until a vast 
canopy of crape hung over the Union. 
Even the great American eagle seemed 
to rise with wings outspread, and through 
respect to the Nation's dead exclude the 
light of gaiety from the outside world. 

A report of Rufus' experience in try- 
ing to stop the carriage, and his immed- 
iate arrest, reached the ears of the 
detectives, who sought the cell of the ex- 
slave and probed him for information 
until he had related all he heard trans- 
pire between the conspirators, and upon 
being released from confinment, he con- 
ducted them to the room he had lately 
occupied. The officers went from there 
to the adjoining building, one room of 
which was only separated from Rufus' 
apartment by a defective wall, and there 
arrested an old woman whose voice 
Rufus declared was that heard from his 
room. The officers there found a clue 
which resulted in the capture of the 
assassin. 



AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 73 

****** 

We will turn from a page of horrors, 
to happier days in the life of Rufus. 

" The mightier man the mightier is the thing 
Which makes him honored or begets him hate, 
For greatest scandal waits on greatest state." 

— Shakespeare. 

Jonesboro formed a suburb of Aug- 
usta, the residents of which were colored, 
with few exceptions. Down on a sandy 
flat where the waters of the Savannah 
had apparently swept over the land in 
days gone by, stood rows of small cot- 
tages and cabins, above which rose the 
spire of *'Zion" Church, and with a couple 
of stores and old shops, the whole formed 
a negro village. 

On one occasion when the residents 
had stopped work on Saturday noon 
(for neither money or pleading could 
prevail upon a negro to work on Satur- 
day afternoon) those who had not gone 
to the City for supplies which could not 
be procured from their small stores, were 



74 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

loung-ing around the corners, enjoying 
their freedom. A dark stranger made 
his advent, who soon created a commo- 
tion among the dusky residents. A few 
of the older among them recognized 
Rufus, whose escape had been recited 
to the younger generation until he fig- 
ured as a hero in the minds of those 
who had never seen him. 

On the following day when the little 
human cloud rolled out of '*Zion," an 
enthusiastic circle was formed on the 
street corner, with Rufus as the center of 
attraction, while the crowd was swelled 
by all the corner loafers, curious to see 
the new-comer. 

''What all dem folks doin' " asked 
one whose attention had been attracted 
by the boisterous talking, "must be some- 
body got happy down there." 

" Dat dar's ole Rufus," replied the 
darkey to whom the inquiry had been 
addressed, who was on his way home to 
spread the news. '' De man what all 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 75 

dese folks been talking 'bout, who run'd 
away when he was young, de Yankees 
bought him free, and after all dis time he 
come back when we're all free." 

Rufus came like a Rip Van Winkle 
into Jonesboro, except that there were 
more living who remembered him than 
were left to recognize the mythical man 
of the Catskills, although time had frosted 
the wool on the ex-slave's head. Rufus 
became the leader of the negroes who 
for miles around flocked into Jonesboro 
to hear the fascinating tales of his ex- 
perience. Thus the new-comer soon 
became eligible to any gift within the 
power of the negro faction. 

After a couple of years had passed, 
during which time Rufus was endeavor- 
ing to fit himself for more usefulness, 
the hero of Jonesboro was chosen by the 
darkies to represent in the City Council 
a Precinct in which they were able to 
control the ballot. 

How this indominable being ever 



76 AN AMBITIOUS SLA VE. 

obtained the rudiments of an education, 
was a mystery to all who knew him, but 
by his insatiable search for knowledge, 
Rufus became able to electrify those who 
heard him speak in public, which was a 
marvel to the whites, and a source of 
ecstatic pleasure to the negroes. 

He delighted in advising his followers 
regarding their future, and once argued : 
''fellow creatures, we have been slaves 
together, we have been bound in sub- 
jection as with one great shackle, but the 
hand of an omnipotent Being has cut 
asunder the bands of servitude, and 
pointing to a distant land, bids us cross 
the water and on yonder island of the 
sea, establish a monarchy which coming 
years may hold up to the world as a 
model form of government. The negro 
has filled his mission (though an invol- 
untary one) in the United States, for, 
coming out of slavery we see his color 
is against him, and our only sucessful 
future lies in colonization. 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 77 

*'A white man might emerge from 
slavery, go out into the world and min- 
gling with his own race, his identity as a 
former slave is lost sight of,butnot so with 
the African — he may move from city to 
city, migrate from State to State, but 
people will look upon his black skin and 
say 'there is an ex-slave' and thus while 
his years of bondage are recalled from 
the dead past, he is recognized as the 
equal of no man except the day laborer." 

Thus we find Rufus pointing out what 
he thought to be a more glorious future 
for his race, but his plan was too slow 
materializing for his ambidon upon earth 
to be realized. 

"My brothers," he continued, "a 
messenger of freedom has been sent us, 
which rose like a star in the sky, and 
shedding its light upon every slave in 
our broad land, shone there in splendor 
until we were all guided out of bondage, 
then like a pilgrim whose mission has 
been filled, receded into the heavens, 



78 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

leaving the responsibility of our future 
upon our shoulders. 

Should we, like birds which have just 
passed through the door of the cage 
into our natural element, remain near 
the scenes of our long confinement? 
No, we should shake the dust of the cage 
from our wings, and rising in unity, 
seek a new and sunny clime." 

When Rufus could gather even a dozen 
listeners behind closed doors where he 
could agitate the cause for which he 
pictured a glowing future, he would 
reach the height of enthusiasm over his 
project, but his followers dropped away 
until they became so few that he was 
almost alone in his cause. Indeed his 
popularity was on the wane, which he 
realized, while the entire cloud which was 
darkening his political horizon had eman- 
ated from the question of his marriage 
contract. 

When his term expired in public office, 
Rufus had gained the favor of the colored 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 79 

faction, and his name as the leader of his 
party so generally known, that when he 
suddenly, and for the first time in his 
eventful life decided to venture into mat- 
rimony, he found no difficulty in gain- 
ing the hand of a white woman, who was 
willing to share with him the snug fortune 
he had acquired. 

The choice of his wife was a death 
stroke to the political career of the 
African, for while the white censured his 
wife for uniting herself with a negro, his 
own followers deserted him for not 
honoring his own color by choosing from 
their ranks a partner for life. 

At this period a great change 
came over the life of Rufus. When he 
visited the City and passed among the 
better class of his color, who in his more 
popular days had greeted him as ''Hon. 
Rufus Walton" they now alluded to him 
as ''Rufus." 

His former constituents argued that 
while he had posed as their leader and 



80 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE, 

claimed to be pointing the dusky race 
to a state of more prosperous existence, 
he had put into practice a theory which 
was not only condemned by the entire 
anglo saxon race, but was directly at 
variance with the principal he was advo- 
cating. 

Rufus' wife was a woman of German 
descent, robust, with the glow of health 
upon her face, and cared little for the 
condemnation of what she termed "the 
prejudiced southerners," but Rufus re- 
membering his days in the State in which 
he first looked upon the world as a free 
man, and realizing that in his ambinon 
he had pursued a method which would 
eventually deprive him of his friends, he 
resolved to return north of the Mason 
and Dixon line, where he, whose increas- 
ing years had increased his knowledge, 
could be welcomed as a citizen. 



CHAPTERXII. 

THE "QUEER" MAN. 

]VT OT many years ago on the streets 
-'^ ^ of Washington City one of the 
most familiar characters seen was an old 
colored man with long kinky locks which 
were becoming bleached by Father Time, 
and while his once stalwart frame was 
somewhat bent, he bore an air of respect- 
ability which marked him as a man of in- 
tellect superior to the common ranks of 
his race. Year followed year, and Rufus 
with a kindly nature never failed to avail 
himself of an opportunity to benefit his 
people, and to brighten the life of some 
burdened colored being. His declining 
years were spent quietly, but the old man 
who found so much that was bright in 
life, had a smile for every one and an eye 



82 AN A MB IT 10 US SLA VE, 

for objects of charity. Alas ! how Httle 
genuine charity exists in the world. If 
we were to build monuments to all the 
existing virtues, I fear those representing 
the other graces in the world would 
tower above that of charity, like moun- 
tains beside a mole hill. 

How much more enjoyment some 
persons find in life than others under 
similar circumstances, but yet how likely 
we are to misjudge others regarding 
their happiness ! While we ofttimes 
look upon our neighbor and say *'If I 
were only situated as he, how happy 
would I be," on the other hand, we too 
often look upon an undemonstrative 
man who never goes into ecstacies over 
anything, and who, while he frequently 
smiles, never laughs out, and we say 
'' poor miserable being, why are some 
people so droll, and go through life with 
so little enjoyment." But, not infre- 
quently are those the most contented 
people. 



AA^ AMBITIO US SLA VE. 83 

I once heard a remark made regarding 
an intimate friend, which was to the 
effect that it was wondered what he lived 
for, while as a matter of fact, few men 
to whom life seemed brighter could be 
found. He was a man of the type who 
are not easy to become acquainted with 
and consequently was often misjudged, 
while his nature was that possessing an 
unusual appreciation of the beautiful, 
an ear that heard music in the waterfalls 
where others but found terror, and while 
he would merely remark upon the beauty 
of Nature, his susceptible being received 
an impression of the scene in which he 
found pleasure in after days. 

If the weather in the evening was too 
inclement to go out, he would take down 
some favorite volume from the library 
and spend an evening so pleasantly that 
the weather never crossed his mind. 
The following day, perhaps by chance 
he would meet a friend on the street 
who would inquire ''well old boy, how 



84 ^ A AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

did you spend the miserable rainy 
evening yesterday ? " '' Oh ! I remained 
in, read awhile and made the best of it," 
would be his reply, while the inquiring 
friend would pass on, thinking *' what a 
strange individual." 

We meet two types of men in the 
common walks of life, either of which 
we scarcely dare criticise. 

The first, the man of the world, "hail 
fellow well met," makes friends with all 
whom he meets, is quick to express his 
opinion and is so open as to readily be 
understood. He takes the world as it 
comes, including too often the vices and 
virtues alike ; but the world would miss 
him — probably because he exists in the 
majority. The other type, while familiar, 
is less numerous, who is the ** queer" 
man mentioned, and who is often 
accused of being selfish to the extent of 
living in a world of his own, while we 
simply misunderstand him. He says 
little (sometimes so little that he may be 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 85 

classed as one of those things which 
goes without saying) but he sees all 
that his associates note of the passing 
events, and in Nature much more. 

The last days of Rufus might be 
compared to the *' queer" class, but 
even on the busy streets where men 
rush madly to and fro, and can seldom 
find time to say a kind word to a person 
in distress, or a small boy with a parcel, 
inquiring for a certain house, he would 
always have a spare minute for the 
benefit of others. 

His troubles of the past — his disap- 
pointment in politics all ceased to trouble 
him, but he saw much of the bright and 
beautiful side of life as he descended its 
shady incline. 

Who cannot look back upon the vary- 
ing path of life and pointing to a certain 
period, say, '' there was a point where 
but for a little word spoken by one 
who little knew their influence, I would 
have taken the other road," or pointing 



86 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

back say ** there was a time when the 
course of my life was decided by 
perhaps a single remark from a friend," 
whether the decision was an advantag- 
eous one or otherwise. 

Rufus must have appreciated this 
influence which is wielded more or less 
by us all, for often when relating a story 
of adventure to youthful listeners, who 
were not confined to people of his own 
color, he endeavored to prevent their 
forming opinions which were biased or 
prejudiced. 

One evening, to show how blindly we 
see each other — even our most intimate 
friends — the old man related a dream as 
follows ; which had impressed him with 
the fact that we are prone to view only 
one side of our associates : 

In my vision I entered an old shop, 
which might appropriately be termed a 
curiosity shop, standing at the foot of one 
of the principal Avenues leading to the 
Capitol. The shelves and counters 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 87 

were strewn with old books of every 
description, second-hand paintings the 
work of artists living generations ago, 
and all manner of old jewelry and bric- 
a-brac too numerous to mention. 

Although the sun shown brightly out- 
side, the old shop would have been quite 
dark, except for a short candle which 
emitted only a hazy flickering light, in 
which I could see the dust-covered ware. 
My attention was attracted to a pair of 
clumsy-looking spectacles lying in a 
show-case, and as the gray-haired shop- 
keeper whose frame was bent with age, 
approached, I inquired about the quaint 
looking glasses. He straightened up 
and looked at me with a pair of litde 
squinted eyes for several seconds, which 
mysterious gaze made me shudder. 
Finally he deigned to reply, and 
informed me those were the glasses of 
good and evil. I hardly grasped his 
meaning, but he picked up the queer 
looking spectacles and brushing the dust 



88 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 

of years' accumulation from them, 
explained that the lense for the right 
eye alone represented the sight of the 
charitably inclined portion of the world, 
who were few. That lense alone enabled 
the human eye to penetrate the inner 
man and brought to light every motive 
which existed there. It was intensified, 
he explained until capable of the most 
perfect sight. 

The lense for the other eye was that 
which exposed the vices of humanity, 
which he stated represented the most 
natural state of the human eye as 
we view each other in our daily lives ; 
but it was also intensified. With it 
could be seen the vilest traits one 
possessed. I was seized with a vague 
longing to look through the glasses if 
only for a moment of time, and especi- 
ally did I desire to turn them upon the 
mysterious face, therefore I asked to be 
permitted to put them on. 

'' My son, you know not what you 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 89 

ask " was his reply, " no mortal eye 
besides my own has ever used those 
glasses." I plead with the old man to 
simply allow me to turn them toward 
the street for a view of only a few 
seconds. 

He looked at me intently for a 
moment, and said, '' young man, to 
learn you a lesson which you will never 
forget, you may turn the glasses upon 
the passing pedestrians, but look straight 
through the door, and dare not turn 
them on me, for I am also a man of 
wickedness." 

I placed the spectacles on, and as I 
beheld a man who paused in front of 
the shop, I thought I was looking upon 
an immortal Being, so perfect appeared 
his deeds. But he passed on. 

The other lense being adjusted, I 
turned the glasses upon another pas- 
sing mortal, and I will never forget 
the chill which passed over my body as 
I beheld every inner motive of what I 



90 AN AMBITIO US SLA VE, 

thought must certainly be the most 
wicked man on earth. I tore the glasses 
from my face with a shriek, and waking, 
realized that I had only been dreaming. 

So quiet were the last days of the 
ex-slave, that when the great reaper of 
mortality bore him away from our beauti- 
ful world to a brighter clime, only a 
couple of lines in the daily paper 
mentioned his death as having been a 
resident of Washington for several 
years, but none in the city knew much 
of the eventful life which had just 
terminated. 

Beyond the few who were accustomed 
to seeing his pleasant face and gray 
kinky locks upon the street, he was 
scarcely missed from the city, the scene 
of a tragedy never to be forgotten, in 
which he figured. 

A Bostonian in Washington one 
morning read the notice of Rufus' death, 
to whom the name of the old man was 
still familiar. He well remembered the 



AN AMBITIO US SLA VE. 91 

circumstances of Riifus' first visit to 
Boston and the excitement that followed. 
The Bostonian cummunicated with 
friends at home, with the result that per- 
mission of the widow of the ex-slave 
was obtained to have his remains 
interred at Boston, which was done. 
Only a small slab marks the final rest- 
ing place of the first slave to be freed, 
which bears the name " Rufus Walton." 
The obscure mound is generally un- 
noticed by passers by, but there still re- 
main a few persons who know the 
history of the negro who was born too 
ambitious to remain where circum- 
stances placed him ; by whom flowers 
are occasionally brought to brighten 
the moss-covered tomb. 

THE END. 



H153 81 



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